Don't have a picture in your Google Places Listing? Here's how!

• You've always suggested that all our Google Places info should be 100% complete. However, I noticed that in order to have a picture displayed you had to have a $25 per month AdWords account. I did that but the picture doesn't show up in any of my searches. Is it a good idea to have a picture? None of my competitors seem to have one.

Answer: I believe what you are referring to is the new local ad extension program called Google Tags which was introduced in June 2010. This program, which does have a $25 per month price point, was launched as an enhancement to existing Google Places accounts as a way to help them stand out a little more in competitive local niches.

Google tags DO NOT result in an organic ranking boost for your local ads. But they do work at adding some flair to your listings which can result in higher visibility and more clicks. Here's an example of the new ad product in action for the local search San Diego plumbers:

Unfortunately, this program does NOT result in the thumbnail image you are looking to display in your local listings. That's actually free. But it's also totally up to Google regarding where they display that graphic AND whether there is an existing graphic they can use.

For example, take a look at this search for San Diego corporate apartments:

If you scroll through the top ranked returned Google Places results (A-G on the page), most have photos returned. Those photos are being pulled from either the actual Google Places profile itself